Acknowledgments have long been my favorite part of a book. I’ve felt that between those thanks at the beginning—some fulsome, some begrudging—and the index at the end, one can get a feel for both the author and the work. It’s a bit like a house, really; thanks to the institution that kept a roof over my head, thanks to the grants that kept food on the table, and thanks to the friends, family, and colleagues that served as the inspiration, comfort, and distraction for the whole affair. The walls, windows, and doors, of course, are the author’s own responsibility. Don’t blame others for the draft or the occasional leak.
As for the debts along the way, they are numerous. This book began its life while I was studying at Notre Dame. There I would like to thank Rory McVeigh and Kraig Beyerlein, as well as Daniel J. Myers (Marquette University) and Christian Davenport (University of Michigan). I owe the origin of this book to Rory McVeigh, who encouraged me to focus on perpetrators’ responses rather than mobilization’s origins. What a good idea!—and one that echoes something I remember learning from Jack Donnelly many years ago: Always turn dichotomies into a continuum. Many thanks go to Josh Dinsman, Lars Almquist, and Dana Chavarria, for their formatting, editorial, and design chops and to a host of folks for funding, including the Kellogg Institute and the Center for the Study of Social Movements and Social Change, both at Notre Dame, as well as the National Science Foundation.
A very special thanks goes out to colleagues in the United Kingdom and India: Dr. Bhanuja Sharan Lal, Dr. Sunit Singh, Kiran Kamal Prasad, Rajneesh Kumar, Vithika Yadav, Ginny Baumann, and Supriya Awasthi. Their creativity and patience made this research possible. Farheen Husain and I shared many long and dusty drives that always challenged me to dig deeper for answers and ask new questions. I owe a great deal to the following individuals who served as translators and transcriptionists at various points: Shinja Singh, Vinay Yadav, Kullyappa, Bonface Owiti, and Jon Rider. Heartfelt thanks go out to all of our friends who made our years in East Africa so enjoyable, and to Tinna, Francis, Lukas, Nuru, and Fred for keeping our household running smoothly while my wife worked hundred-hour weeks and I spent months alternating between India and a book-piled desk.
I owe a great debt to Wolfgang Reinicke, the founding dean of the School of Public Policy at Central European University, who encouraged me break the rules if necessary and challenge convention when possible. This project benefitted from the research assistance of Marija Stanovska Rupcic, from the close read provided by Pratik Phadule and Erjon Qirollari, and from the encouragement and support of my colleagues, especially Cristina Corduneanu-Huci, Michael Dorsch, Daniel Large, Simon Rippon, Bernhard Knoll, and Robert Templer. At the University of San Diego I would like to thank Patricia Marquez, for carving out the time for me to finish this book, and to Necla Tschirgi, for suggesting the book was written the wrong way round.
This project has developed and improved through reviews and conversations at various times with Doug McAdams, Sarah Soule, Joseph Luders, Jim Jasper, Jeff Goodwin, Ed Walker, Kirsten Foot, Brayden King, Rachel Einwohner, Kathryn Sikkink, Doug Johnson, John Picarelli, Joel Quirk, Kevin Bales, Aidan McQuade, Ann Bunting, Michelle Clark, Brandon Vaidyanathan, Kiran Kamal Prasad, Tom Maher, Leon Oosterwijk, and Farheen Husain. Warm-hearted thanks go to Gina Neff and Phil Howard, for their generous mentorship and friendship.
I have also been fortunate to receive the smart support of Alison Brysk and the kind hospitality of Hank Johnston over the years. This project benefitted from feedback at annual meetings of the American Anthropological Association, American Society of Criminology, International Studies Association, and the American Sociological Association and from reviewers at the Journal of Human Rights and the Journal of Human Trafficking.
I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the coffee shops where I hammered these ideas out over conversations or at my machine. In Mawnza: Tilapia and Ryan’s Bay; in Budapest: Espresso Embassy, My Little Melbourne, and Coyote Café; in Marquette: Landmark, Ore Dock, and Black Rocks; in San Diego: Influx, Ballast Point, and Bird Rock. A thousand thanks for the double shots.
Slavery will not be ended by yet another book on the topic. It will be ended by people like Jenny Choi, my partner, who has committed her life to increasing opportunity and decreasing inequality the world over. She and our joyous furies—Eden Justice and Aila Pax—are the future and the hinge on which my life swings. Finally, to Joshua MacIvor-Andersen, for his companionship over all these years. I wouldn’t have it any other way.